OAA Apologise for "Career Women Make Bad Mothers" Campaign

[OAA]

The OAA are running a campaign to demonstrate the power of outdoor advertising to drive people online. This is being done in conjunction with a new website called ?Britainthinks.com? which encourages debate amongst the people of Britain.

We regret any misunderstanding that led to feelings of offence on the part of members of the Mumsnet community.

The intention of the website is to generate debate by posing questions that are deemed to be socially relevant by members of society.

We did not intend to cause any offence and we would stress that the questions posed were not the opinions of the OAA or any of its members.

Three posters were designed to initiate the debate using sport, life and politics and these are supported by dozens of other questions on the website itself.

Regrettably the question relating to ?career women? has caused offence and the OAA unreservedly apologises to anyone who has been offended. This was not our intention and, to ensure that this misunderstanding does not persist, instructions have been given to remove this poster.

Subject to the vagaries of the weather, all copy will be removed as soon as possible. The sites currently carrying this poster will be either blanked-out or carry one of the other designs. The poster will also be removed from the ?Britainthinks.com? website. All Digital posters have already been removed.

Have just seen f soc t shirt "I've got millicent tendencies".

Have just seen f soc t shirt "I've got millicent tendencies".

What MrsB thinks would be good:

*to politely decline Beta's offer of a co-branded BritainThinks/Mumsnet/'angry career women' campaign
*to point Beta to the discussion on this thread re donating the opportunity to charity
*to suggest to Beta that they should now, if they themselves so wish and the OAA agrees (it's OAA's ad space, remember), contact charities mentioned on this thread, or any other charities in a similar vein they may happen to have existing relationships with (some will remember that Beta has at some stage been associated with NSPCC, for example), to offer the space to them
*to suggest to Beta that, for our information they may like to post an update here if any charity decides it would like to go ahead

Yes, a good plan. Absolves MNHQ and Mnetters personally from any involvement and puts the ball firmly in their court.

(and yes, we do know you are reading this, Beta!)

£1,000 towards charity admin costs and free adverts for charity....

I like that idea: rejecting their offer; and suggesting donating the ad space to charity instead.

Not sure whether they would want to go with it though? Unless it met their need for a 'controversial' slogan that drove people to their site.

I love mrsbaldwin.

Not the NSPCC please.

Their ads are shit and some of what they say about parenting is questionable.

(But that's a debate for another thread...)

I reckon the deadline isn't arbitrary, there'll be a schedule of booked spaces on these boards etc and various admin reasons why it has to happen swiftly, I'd reckon

true about the deadline, but then otoh if the OAA wants to apologise it owns the space and can offer it any time.

i'm with mrsb.

Like it has been said, Snowworm, their call!

It is a grown up and charitable decision on MNs part, and draws a line under the whole sorry debacle.

Whether they go with it or not is entirely their affair, and the should be taken in consultation with their crisis management consultants and marketing team.

At the end of the day (cliche trolley rolling past my desk) it is a clean and positive solution which absolves all involved of pursuing an agenda purely driven by self-interest.

WIn-win!

(another massive bill to Beta for marketing strategy, proceeds to be donated to charity)

also agree no nspcc.

The £1000 - I need to have a look at Beta's offer again to remind myself whether it was hard cash, or pro-bono (ie free) work to be undertaken for a charity.

Given Beta's previous involvement with NSPCC, if they chose that one it could be seen as driven by self interest....

i wonder which of the nspcc's ghastly campaigns beta were responsible for?

After baby bedtime tonight I will draft up a short open letter to Beta, with the potential for this to be 'officially' posted to them on a new thread in this topic, once interested MNers have had a look and said what they think.

Then we can all sit back and have a rest!

apropos of nothing, if my ds didn't know the world was a hideous place where children were abused around the world, had no clean water, had to work at aged five, were left in their cots and had to scavenge their own food, he certainly does now after the Xmas tv ad bombardment.

Not that he shouldn't know, but such an overload was like a crash course in "welcome to our shit world".

a rest would be good mrsb!

Just caught up with all this! RL can be soo annoying!! Of course MrsB makes total sense (as usual). Will look out for open 'letter post' later! The 'rest' bit sounds good too!

dittany! wash you mouth out!

of course we are omniscient! (if a bit underground at the moment)